1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to pressurizing on-board aircraft electrical enclosures, including but not limited to waveguides, and more particularly to apparatus for reducing condensation in such enclosures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, certain electronic equipment enclosures on board an aircraft, such as radar waveguides, are often pressurized with air from the aircraft passenger cabin, a relatively warm moist source of pressurizing atmosphere. The electrical equipment enclosure or waveguide may be located at least partially in a region of the aircraft that is not pressurized or heated in flight so that the temperature of this region may drop to approximately the temperature of the atmosphere outside the aircraft.
The waveguide or other pressurizing electrical equipment enclosure contemplated by this invention is air tight. Nevertheless, pressurizing air often leaks from the enclosure or waveguide, resulting in a flow of warm, moist air into the enclosure or waveguide. Thus, when the aircraft is in flight, the temperature of the waveguide or enclosure is considerably lower than the temperature of the air flowing into it to replace the air lost by leakage, and moisture in the air condenses on the interior surfaces of the waveguide or enclosure with possible deleterious effects on the operation of the equipment.